“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full” John 15:11
This is the challenge that the Lord has presented me with while in Haiti: to choose joy, to choose to see all of the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon me this month. It is easy to see all that I don’t have: air conditioning, internet or an endless supply of electricity. It’s easy to complain about the heat, doing manual labor, or the bugs, or the lizards, or the rats; It’s easy to focus on how exhausted I am at the end of each day or how little personal space I have; It’s easy to fall asleep on my twin mattress wishing it was my king-size bed at home.
However, rather than doing what’s easy, rather than focusing on myself, I can choose to lift my eyes higher and to see the Lord. When I focus on the Lord, it is then that I see everything that He has blessed me with this month. He has given me time to spend with Him and time to spend with the 47 other wonderful people on my squad. He has given me so much laughter and love for one another. He has blessed me with an incredible organization that is doing mighty things to further His Kingdom in Haiti. He has taught me construction skills to build a pastoral training center. He has given me time to spend playing, giggling and taking photos with the children of the surrounding villages. He blessed me with the opportunity to oversee the Arts & Crafts and Agriculture classes for over 600 children during VBS . He has given me fresh meals every day, and a beautiful sunset every night. He has given me the opportunity to sing praise, to dance and to laugh with the 60 orphans at Mission of Hope. He has allowed me the privilege to pray for physical healing over a security guard, Raymond, one very hot afternoon last weekend. I noticed Raymond sitting on a rock splashing water on his face. He flagged me down and asked if I could help him. Raymond spoke very little English but he proceeded to point to his chest and pointed to the security station. The Lord immediately placed my Dad in my mind. My Dad had several heart attacks a little over a year ago and I then recalled all of the pain my Dad expressed having in his chest during that time. I told Raymond to hold on and I would be right back with help. I ran to the security stand about 3 minutes away and by the grace of God there was a girl, Michelline, who lives here at the orphanage standing close by who speaks English. Michelline translated what was going on to the head of security. The head security guard came with us to where Raymond was laying and all I knew to do was pray. I walked away not knowing the outcome but I believe that those who believe will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed.
Two days later as I was on the construction site where we have been building the pastoral center, I look over and there stands Raymond. He pulled me to the side and gave me the biggest hug and told me that I saved his life. I certainly didn’t save Raymond’s life but my mighty Savior did. There is nothing too big or small for my God.
The Lord has allowed me the privilege to pray for physical, spiritual, and emotional healing over the lives of many in the surrounding villages of Titanyen. The Lord has been showing me that you can’t have joy if you are inwardly focused. If I think about my circumstances, my situation, my life, my desires, and my hurts then there won’t be joy that comes along with that. When you begin to look outwardly at the beauty of creation, the uniqueness of His people, the heart of others and how God sees them, you will get a perspective shift. As I have been praying into what real joy looks like, God is breaking me of being inwardly focused. No circumstance and no situation could ever make you loose joy unless you allow it. All we need is Him and to focus on Him first. Joy is something to strive for but something freely given. I will continue to walk in this joy as it is given to me. You see, living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. The JOY of the Lord is our STRENGTH.